diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
index fda3cbf51d..9ee7cb1bee 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbStaticLib.c
@@ -1668,9 +1668,12 @@ long dbCreateAlias(DBENTRY *pdbentry, const char *alias)
     dbInitEntry(pdbentry->pdbbase, &tempEntry);
     status = dbFindRecord(&tempEntry, alias);
     dbFinishEntry(&tempEntry);
-    if (!status)
+    if (!status) {
+        /* redefining the same alias for the same record is ok */
+        if (tempEntry.precnode == precnode)
+            return 0;
         return S_dbLib_recExists;
-
+    }
     pnewnode = dbCalloc(1, sizeof(dbRecordNode));
     pnewnode->recordname = epicsStrDup(alias);
     pnewnode->precord = precnode->precord;